Simon Hobart died from drink- inquest told

Simon Hobart
Died from drink- inquest told
by Marc Shoffman
24 February 2006

Club promoter Simon Hobart died after an evening of heavy drinking, a South London inquest was told.
Mr Hobart, who founded Popstarz, Ghetto and Trash Palace is credited for having initiated the gay indie scene in London and far beyond. He was found dead outside his flat in October last year.
His wallet, which he usually carried with him, could not be found
despite searches at all his venues. Dr Vesna Djurovic, who conducted the autopsy, said the toxic effect of alcohol had affected his breathing.
The promoter started his DJ career at the gothic club Kitcat in the
1980s and later opened a club night called Bedrock at the famous
Marquee club. In 1995 he launched Popstarz, which in time became the largest gay club night in London with thousands of regular revellers.
It also attracted scores of big name stars including Mick Jagger,
Brian Molko, Keith Flint and Little Britain star Matt Lucas.
He later went on to launch Ghetto, the popular club situated below the Astoria in the centre of the west end and latterly Trash Palace, a gay bar in China Town.

Blanche Leeding, who worked at Ghetto on the last night he was seen, told the inquest, “he was in a very good mood” but added that Mr Hobart had been drinking more since his mother’s death.

Mr Hobart was driven home by driver John Stansfield who told the

inquest the club promoter seemed “quite inebriated”. Mr Stansfield

said: “He was trying to find the key to the lock to the outside gates, he found the key then he went into the property – I offered him help but he seemed agitated and he said ‘just go, just go, just go’.”

Kate Varnon, a neighbour discovered his body the next morning, she
said he was still sitting up by the door leading to the block where he lived holding his mobile phone: “About half past eight my chap left to go to work and came back in to say there was a man lying outside.”
“I went out with my phone and I dialled 999 as I checked for a pulse. He was the wrong colour.”
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Simon Hobart 1964 - 2005

Simon Hobart
Dynamic promoter and DJ who brought imaginative flair to the London gay club scene


David Hudson
The Guardian, Wednesday 2 November 2005


The club promoter and DJ Simon Hobart, who has died unexpectedly at the age of 41, made a major contribution to London's gay club landscape, providing a haven for thousands of young gay people who felt out of place elsewhere. A courteous, charming and unassuming man, he stamped his mark on an arena awash with overinflated egos, exhibitionists and hyperbole.
Though born in Peru, Simon was brought up in Hemel Hempstead, where he attended Cavendish comprehensive school. Like many, he escaped the boredom of small-town life through a love of music, embracing post-punk and the outsider allure of the fledgling goth scene. At 16, he moved to London to become a trainee chef at the Ritz hotel, but soon left to study for his A-levels at Kingsway College, Westminster.

By this time he had already discovered London's nightlife, hanging out at clubs such as the Blitz, presided over by an early hero and inspiration, Steve Strange. Simon got his first break from infamous punk gig promoter Jock McDonald, who invited him to DJ at the Kariba club in Soho in 1982.

Simon launched his first club night as a promoter, Fly Trap, in June 1983. This ran for a few months, and was followed by the Kit Kat in February 1984. Opening at Studio One on Oxford Street (now the Metro), it moved to a converted warehouse known as the Pleasure Dive in Westbourne Grove, where it became London's premier goth hangout, providing a more glamorous and tongue-in-cheek alternative to its more po-faced rival, the Batcave in Soho. The Kit Kat gave Simon his first taste of notoriety, when in January 1985 it landed him on the front page of the Sun. Police had raided the club for drugs and arrested Simon, a photographer snapping "the godfather of goth" as he was led away - he was just 21 at the time.

The Kit Kat attracted a cross-section of goths, punks and outsiders of all sexual persuasions. Simon felt infinitely more comfortable there than on the commercial gay scene, which was still preoccupied with high-energy pop and disco: "I hated the mentality of the people. I hated the music that was being offered, and found it insulting to your intelligence and tastes. We don't want to all act like teenage girls. We don't all want to go to a nightclub just to take drugs or to have sex." This sense of alienation kept Simon in the straight club world, and he went on to launch the rock night Bedrock and house club Fusion, both at the Marquee on Charing Cross Road. But it was the arrival of Britpop in the mid-90s that prompted his entry into the gay club scene.

"I sensed bands like Blur, Pulp and Elastica had an ironic, theatrical element that ran counter to its shoe-gazing, indie dirge side, so I decided to trial a night called Popstarz, where the emphasis would be on boozing not cruising, as an antidote to the mainstream gay scene." The night launched, somewhat ambitiously, in 1995 at the 900-capacity Paradise club at the Angel, Islington, but Simon had few fears of failure. "If Popstarz had failed I wouldn't have embarrassed myself, because I didn't know anyone in the gay community!"

Popstarz didn't fail. It quickly became a huge success, providing an escape for gay lovers of rock and indie music, and anyone else who felt out of place in more mainstream gay venues. Over the last 10 years it has moved from north London to the West End, before settling in its current home, the Scala at King's Cross, and becoming the country's biggest indie night, gay or straight.

Simon was taken aback at how quickly it established a loyal following, and felt encouraged to expand. Following its launch at the Cross Bar at King's Cross, Popstarz spin-off Miss-Shapes recently celebrated its ninth birthday, while three years ago Simon took over the lease of a basement venue in Falconberg Mews, Soho, transforming it into Ghetto, a seven-nights-a-week hangout for alternative gay tribes.

At the end of last year, he bought his first premises, a former Chinese restaurant on Wardour Street that he relaunched as Trash Palace, providing an early evening option for his crowd and an intimate club space. At the time of his death, he presided over a clubbing empire, either promoting his own nights or hosting a diverse collection of offerings, from Red Eye to Nag Nag Nag, Don't Call Me Babe to Pimp, and many others. Uninterested in material success, he entertained only other club promoters who had a passion and belief in what they were doing.

In 2003, The Observer included Simon in its list of the 20 most influential gay people in the country. That year, he launched the annual Ray Of Light event at the Crash club in Vauxhall, raising money for MacMillan Cancer Relief. It was conceived in response to his mother's death from the disease. He is survived by his father and brother.

Simon Hobart, club promoter and DJ, born September 29 1964; died October 23 2005

Obituary - Simon Hobart

Legendary London club promoter Simon Hobart dead at 41

Obituary
Simon Hobart

Dynamic promoter and DJ who brought imaginative flair to the London gay club scene

David Hudson
Wednesday November 2, 2005
The Guardian

The club promoter and DJ Simon Hobart, who has died unexpectedly at the age of 41, made a major contribution to London's gay club landscape, providing a haven for thousands of young gay people who felt out of place elsewhere. A courteous, charming and unassuming man, he stamped his mark on an arena awash with overinflated egos, exhibitionists and hyperbole.

Though born in Peru, Simon was brought up in Hemel Hempstead, where he attended Cavendish comprehensive school. Like many, he escaped the boredom of small-town life through a love of music, embracing post-punk and the outsider allure of the fledgling goth scene. At 16, he moved to London to become a trainee chef at the Ritz hotel, but soon left to study for his A-levels at Kingsway College, Westminster.

Article continues
By this time he had already discovered London's nightlife, hanging out at clubs such as the Blitz, presided over by an early hero and inspiration, Steve Strange. Simon got his first break from infamous punk gig promoter Jock McDonald, who invited him to DJ at the Kariba club in Soho in 1982.

Simon launched his first club night as a promoter, Fly Trap, in June 1983. This ran for a few months, and was followed by the Kit Kat in February 1984. Opening at Studio One on Oxford Street (now the Metro), it moved to a converted warehouse known as the Pleasure Dive in Westbourne Grove, where it became London's premier goth hangout, providing a more glamorous and tongue-in-cheek alternative to its more po-faced rival, the Batcave in Soho. The Kit Kat gave Simon his first taste of notoriety, when in January 1985 it landed him on the front page of the Sun. Police had raided the club for drugs and arrested Simon, a photographer snapping "the godfather of goth" as he was led away - he was just 21 at the time.

The Kit Kat attracted a cross-section of goths, punks and outsiders of all sexual persuasions. Simon felt infinitely more comfortable there than on the commercial gay scene, which was still preoccupied with high-energy pop and disco: "I hated the mentality of the people. I hated the music that was being offered, and found it insulting to your intelligence and tastes. We don't want to all act like teenage girls. We don't all want to go to a nightclub just to take drugs or to have sex." This sense of alienation kept Simon in the straight club world, and he went on to launch the rock night Bedrock and house club Fusion, both at the Marquee on Charing Cross Road. But it was the arrival of Britpop in the mid-90s that prompted his entry into the gay club scene.

"I sensed bands like Blur, Pulp and Elastica had an ironic, theatrical element that ran counter to its shoe-gazing, indie dirge side, so I decided to trial a night called Popstarz, where the emphasis would be on boozing not cruising, as an antidote to the mainstream gay scene." The night launched, somewhat ambitiously, in 1995 at the 900-capacity Paradise club at the Angel, Islington, but Simon had few fears of failure. "If Popstarz had failed I wouldn't have embarrassed myself, because I didn't know anyone in the gay community!"

Popstarz didn't fail. It quickly became a huge success, providing an escape for gay lovers of rock and indie music, and anyone else who felt out of place in more mainstream gay venues. Over the last 10 years it has moved from north London to the West End, before settling in its current home, the Scala at King's Cross, and becoming the country's biggest indie night, gay or straight.

Simon was taken aback at how quickly it established a loyal following, and felt encouraged to expand. Following its launch at the Cross Bar at King's Cross, Popstarz spin-off Miss-Shapes recently celebrated its ninth birthday, while three years ago Simon took over the lease of a basement venue in Falconberg Mews, Soho, transforming it into Ghetto, a seven-nights-a-week hangout for alternative gay tribes.

At the end of last year, he bought his first premises, a former Chinese restaurant on Wardour Street that he relaunched as Trash Palace, providing an early evening option for his crowd and an intimate club space. At the time of his death, he presided over a clubbing empire, either promoting his own nights or hosting a diverse collection of offerings, from Red Eye to Nag Nag Nag, Don't Call Me Babe to Pimp, and many others. Uninterested in material success, he entertained only other club promoters who had a passion and belief in what they were doing.

In 2003, The Observer included Simon in its list of the 20 most influential gay people in the country. That year, he launched the annual Ray Of Light event at the Crash club in Vauxhall, raising money for MacMillan Cancer Relief. It was conceived in response to his mother's death from the disease. He is survived by his father and brother.

· Simon Hobart, club promoter and DJ, born September 29 1964; died October 23 2005

Simon Hobart - Bio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Simon Hobart (1964 – 23 October 2005)
was one of the most influential figures in British gay nightlife of his era. He was most famous for creating the hugely popular, long-running alternative nightclub Popstarz at London's Scala. He was also the owner and promoter of Soho venues Ghetto (with its world-famous Nag Nag Nag night) and Trash Palace.

Early career
He began his career as a promoter and DJ at a Westbourne Grove goth club in the early 80s, the Kitcat. In 1984, a photo of him in full goth regalia was splashed across the front page of the tabloid The Sun, above the caption "Godfather of Goth." Hobart took the fall for the first club raid on London’s first all-night club. Police (dressed as goths) surveiled the soon-to-be infamous venue and saw no club managers or owners at the place: just the 20-year old DJ. 200 police descended upon the premises. Hobart got away with community service and the club became wildly popular.

Following the huge success of the night, he went on to open another club that became a legend of its time, Bedrock. He has said in interviews that he promoted the club's opening night (17th February 1989 At Oxfords, 21 Oxford street W1) by not letting anyone in, forcing them in a long queue outside, but blasting the music and pretending it was packed to capacity inside. There was immediate buzz about the new, "wildly successful" indie dance night.

His growing reputation led to DJ residencies at the Heaven nightclub. Simon then moved into Drum and Bass - opening two major underground DnB nights, Fusion and Vivid, both having capacities of about 1200 people.

Popstarz and later career
On 25 May 1995, he started his first gay night, Popstarz, capitalizing on the popularity of Britpop. "If Popstarz had failed," he told Alternative London Magazine, "I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself, because I didn’t know anyone in the gay community." It became his most successful creation, and more than a thousand patrons a week continue to arrive each Friday. Many stars have partied there, and it has been host to many world-class bands, including Scissor Sisters, The Dandy Warhols, Le Tigre, and Goldfrapp.

He told Gay.com that he started Popstarz to bring something different to the gay scene, away from the “factory-farm stereotyped, mindless, blinkered gay people” churned out by other clubs. "The feeling was that gay people had been liberated from the hell that they’d been in for most of their teen to adult lives,” he said. “So many people said to me it was like coming out of the closet for the second time.”

In more recent years, his passion was the Ghetto (previously the Tube Nightclub), a small basement club behind the London Astoria, where he had the opportunity to nurture a number of criss-crossing alternative gay scenes. The Ghetto, where Simon spent six nights a week (except Fridays at Popstarz, where he spun), had nights ranging from Redeye (gay metal/punk/rock with devout regulars who connected on the bentpunk internet forum) to The Cock (celebrity-studded, ambisexual post-electroclash) to Misshapes (cutting edge indie with a heavy lesbian presence). On Saturdays Simon himself spun at Wig Out, his packed, unpretentious pop night. Shortly before his death, his new alternative bar Trash Palace hosted the first gay freshers fair for new students in the capital.

Simon often said he was willing to take losses on certain nights (such as Redeye) because he was so committed to promoting the alternative gay scene. In fact, all events and venues run by Simon were and continue to be run on a semi-charitable basis with any profits after costs going to charity.

In 2003, The Observer included Simon in its list of the 20 most influential gay people in the country.

Death
Simon Hobart died in the early hours of Sunday 23 October 2005 after falling from steps outside his home.

Simon Hobart "Punk squad" in drug raid

Possibly the greatest newspaper clipping ever


Does anyone have a better copy? Let me know...

Simon Hobart - Red Lipstique

Simon Hobart
DJ and club promoter who brought a new style to gay London
September 24, 1964 - October 23, 2005

BEFORE Popstarz opened in May 1995, the gay scene in London was pretty uniform: hi-NRG, disco and house music predominated; you wore a tight T-shirt (or no T-shirt at all) and jeans. Popstarz came as a gale of fresh air — its creator Simon Hobart billed it as the “indie alternative”, but it was much more.
Hobart was an innovator. At Popstarz’s first incarnation, the now-defunct Paradise Club in Islington, one dancefloor played indie music from the likes of Pulp and Blur, a soul floor played the cream of Motown and a disco floor played everything from Kool and the Gang to Kylie. People drank beer out of plastic glasses and eyed each other up playfully rather than aggressively. The pressures to have the right body and clothes, and to dance mindlessly to the same old music, were challenged.

It was mixed gay and lesbian, and eventually — to the dismay of some of its regulars — it even welcomed straights.
Popstarz also attracted many celebrities including Mick Jagger, Boy George, the Little Britain star Matt Lucas, Bono, Siouxsie Sioux and Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. Leading bands including the Dandy Warhols and Goldfrapp played there.

Inspired by the success of Popstarz, Hobart launched a series of clubs which differed from the mainstream gay scene. At his Soho club Ghetto he created Wig Out, Misshapes and Nagnagnag, with eclectic playlists of punk, nu-wave, indie, electro and pop. Last year he bought his first pub, Trash Palace in Soho; with its red sofas and black floors, it had the same art-school look as Popstarz and Ghetto.

Hobart was born in Peru in 1964 and raised in Hemel Hempstead. His father is a businessman. After attending Cavendish School in Hemel Hempstead and Kingsway College, London, he spent some months as a trainee chef at the Ritz.
Growing up, Hobart was the archetypal gay boy struggling to express himself in a stultifying small town. He was a child magician and, as a teenager, would come to London to the then fashionable club Blitz, presided over by Steve Strange. The club’s anarchic glamour showed him that difference was something to take pride in and provided a template for the clubs he himself would create.
Hobart adopted the New Romantic dress code of the time, decked out in the gothy, gender-blurring drag of Culture Club and Pete Burns of Dead or Alive: pirate tops, leggings, make-up. His “ultimate” hero, he once said, was David Bowie, and his favourite song was Bowie’s Young Americans.

In November 1981 Hobart got his first DJ-ing gig at the Kareba club, then moved to the Flytrap. Each Saturday he would shop at Jane Kahn’s outrageous dress shop in King’s Road, and eventually had a part-time job there.
In February 1984 he founded the Kit Kat club, named after the club in the film Cabaret, which was intended to have a “goth-gone-glam” feel. Around the same time, he sang in a punk band, Red Lipstique.

In 1985 police, dressed in leather and drag, targeted the club in a drugs raid. “Swoop Cops Wore Lipstick!” screamed The Sun’s headline. A beaming Hobart was photographed being led from the club in a huge blonde wig, thigh-high boots and leather codpiece by a doughty policeman.

He was charged with possession of drugs, later revealing how a “really lovely priest”, Father Bill Shergold, had acted as his guarantor during his probationary period. Father Bill gave him the leather biker’s jacket which he had worn when preaching to Hell’s Angels in the 60s.

When the Kit Kat closed in 1989, Hobart began the Bedrock night at Oxfords nightclub, which moved later to the Marquee on Charing Cross Road. He had successful residencies at Heaven’s Pyramid and Rage nights, and in the early 1990s opened two drum’n’bass clubs, Fusion and Vivid.

Popstarz made his name. The emphasis, Hobart said, “would be on boozing, not cruising, as an antidote to the mainstream gay scene with its muscle Marys or crass, boy band-loving gay teenagers. To publicise it, I scattered flyers round colleges and record shops, tapping into a younger, more intellectual crowd. To my amazement, Popstarz became massive. When I arrived there, there was a queue around the block.”

Its success encouraged other acclaimed counter-cultural clubs like Duckie. In 2003 The Observer named Hobart as one of the 20 most influential gay men in Britain. Hobart admired Peter Stringfellow, whose success — like Hobart’s — was down to being absolutely identified with his club. Every night Hobart welcomed punters at Ghetto, stationed in the little booth at the bottom of the stairs. At Popstarz he could be seen in the DJ box, surveying the dancefloor. He kept beer prices low.

As one bar manager recalled, Hobart chose to subsidise his clubs through loss-making periods because he cared about innovation more than profits.
Hobart had a fine gravelly voice which spoke of louche nights, but while he drank a lot and partied, he took his health seriously and kept his youthful looks. A self-confessed “jewellery snob”, he sported an arsenal of rings, including a razor blade and a silver skull.

Though a public figure, he kept his personal life private and did not become enmeshed in the bitchiness of the club scene. He was ambitious, and his clubs and bars were his all-consuming passion. They will remain open, “run in the manner and style that Simon wanted”, say his family. Future profits will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Relief, a charity for which he had done stalwart fund-raising since the death of his mother from cancer four years ago.
There will be a night in celebration of his life at Popstarz (at The Scala in King’s Cross) this Friday night as a fundraiser for the charity.

Simon Hobart, DJ and club promoter, was born on September 24, 1964. He died after a fall on October 23, 2005, aged 41.